nalgene bottes get even uglier

I've always hated nalgene bottles; they're so ugly, and they always get gross. In my efforts to reduce my contribution to environmental decay while staving off thirst, I've occasionally gotten past appearance and tried one out, but it never stuck. Learning that they are made mostly of the plastic BPA, a known estrogen (exposure to which can be linked with estrogen-based cancers, especially breast cancer), and that there were indicators the plastic could leak into the stored water, I swore off nalgenes completely. So I'm glad the results of a longitudinal study looking at BPA exposure in humans got enough press to provoke the first class-action lawsuit filed against nalgene (asserting they understated the health risks to consumers), to get bottles pulled off the shelves, and to incite nalgene to phase out BPA. So while they'll still be hideous, at least they won't cause cancer anymore.

I'm still in the market for a refillable bottle that is relatively stylish. I usually refill old bottles, but glass is to fragile and I'm temporarily ignoring the horror stories I head about refilling disposable plastic bottles because I don't really have any other option.

If you have any suggestions for attractive reusable water bottles, post in the comments!

water myth washed up

Whenever I go home to visit my dad I give him a hard time about his beverage choices, which he typically limits to diet iced tea, alcohol, and black coffee. When I'd nag him to drink more water, he'd rebut that (in addition to his distaste for the stuff) there was no scientific evidence proving water improved health. Well Dad, I hate to admit it, but you were right!

In a new report, researchers from the University of Pennsylvania analyzed over 30 years of data concerning the effect of water and could not confirm its supposed health benefits. They evaluated water's ability to flush our toxins, help organ functioning, help with weight loss, clear skin, and ward off headaches, and found little sound evidence supporting or negating any of these claims. Read more here.

Despite the cold hard science in my face, I still have a hard time accepting this, as I often think I can observe the benefits of water in my body. I guess its the old placebo effect in action again. Still, I am not going to cease drinking copious amounts of water, but I will lay off my dad.

soothe hay fever with a sinus rinse

It is unfair that the magical blossoming of spring inevitably triggers such a horrific allergic response in those of us who deal with seasonal allergies. The lush of spring is right on the horizon...those shivery cold night are numbered. With bulbs blooming and trees budding, runny noses and itchy eyes are creeping in the corner.

If you are a sinus suffer, look into nasal saline irrigation, also known as neti. This type of sinus and nasal cleansing is a purification technique has been used in ayurvedic medicine and purification rituals for thousands of years, and more recently there have been studies that demonstrated its efficacy in reducing sinus discomfort.

I've been plagued by itchy throats and springtime sneezing as far back as I can remember, so I've tried most of the pharmaceuticals, a year or so of shots, and I've been eating local honey for five years. I was really impressed with how quickly and gently rinsing eased my sinus pressure, and after a few months of rinsing a few times a week I feel less irritated and congested.

The sensation is a bit startling at first, but once you get the swing of things it is really no weirder than flossing. To ease into it, try this great sinus rinse kit.

Support H.R. 1424: Call your state representative today!

Tomorrow the house will be voting on bill H.R. 1424, the Paul Wellstone Mental Health and Addiction Equity Act of 2007. This bill, if enacted, would fight insurance discrimination against the mentally ill by requiring mental health parity. Insurance plans that currently cover mental health would have provide the same benefits and same limits for mental health services as for physical health services. While this bill (sponsored by Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D-RI)) would not cure all of the inequities surrounding mental health care, it would be a positive step forward for health care reform.

Stigma surrounding mental illness and misunderstanding of its prevalence, manifestations, and treatment options allow insurance companies to shortchange customers on mental health coverage. While there is data to dispute the misconceptions about mental health, much of that information never makes it to the general public.

One common misconception is that covering mental health care would be too much of a financial drain. In testimony to the house opposing H.R. 1424, the National Retail Federation states the bill would increase cost of coverage for retailer and employee alike. However, untreated mental illness is a great drain on the economy. The Wall Street Journal estimates the cost of untreated mental illness at over $90 billion a year, including lost productivity and resulting medical expenditures. Untreated mental illness causes increased absenteeism and lower productivity. Another damaging misconception is that mental illness occurs infrequently, so it doesn't need to be a priority. As discussed in a previous post, mental health issues are very common in the US. According to the Surgeon General, fifty-four million Americans, about 1 in 5 people, are affected by mental illness each year, regardless of ethnicity, sex or socioeconomic class.

The most damaging misconception about mental illness, particularly substance abuse, is that the illness is not real. The pervasive fallacy that one can control one's mental illness but simply chooses not to allows people to believe that someone seeking psychiatric treatment does not deserve the same medical attention as someone seeking physical treatment. This notion is ridiculous. Perhaps my psych degree and employment at a drug and alcohol center makes me more attuned to this issue than the average person, but it seems ludicrous to me that anyone with the option to thrive would choose to suffer. Mental illness is very real, and without proper treatment its consequences cause a great burden on the sufferer and anyone in their orbit. However, even if this were a valid argument for limiting treatment of mental illness, then shouldn't coverage be limited for people with type 2 diabetes who choose a poor diet, or people with high blood pressure who choose to lead sedentary lives? Nobody would ever dream of enforcing those types of limitations on physical problems (well...maybe the insurance companies dream it, but they couldn't get away with it), yet this double standard is tolerated for mental health issues.

So call your representative today! H.R. 1424 will not only expand coverage, but it will help to challenge outmoded beliefs, fight discrimination, normalize mental illness, and allow people to get the treatment they deserve.

UPDATE 3/6/08
It passed!

FDA approves laughter for treatment of malaise

Perhaps I should have listened to my own advice, but as usual my winter-induced ennui convinced me to spend the last two months in hibernation. While I haven't really felt like doing anything, I have been able to stave off the sadness of SAD with a daily dose of laughter. While the FDA hasn't actually validated the ol' adage, there is plenty of data to prove that laughter can reduce pain, improve oxygen flow to the brain, and generally lift spirits.

So if winter is trampling your mood, try renting Super Troopers, reading some Sedaris, joining a laughter yoga group, or just yucking it up at my new favorite joke:

Bush and Cheney are at a restaurant for lunch. The waitress comes over and asks what they will be having.

Bush says, "I'll have a quickie."

The waitress steps back in disgust and says, "Mr. President, I thought that kind of piggish behavior went out with the last administration!"

She storms off and Dubya looks confused. Cheney shakes his head at the president and says, "George, it's pronounced QUICHE."

How sad is your state?

The nonprofit agency Mental Health America released a report that ranks depression for each state. The organization developed a composite measure of depression levels based on data from SAMSHA's National Household Survey on Drug Use and Health and the CDC's Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (two of my favorite data sets!).

Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, and New Jersey were found to be the mentally healthiest states, while Idaho, Nevada, Utah, West Virginia, and Wyoming were found to have the poorest mental health.

Available resources, affordable treatment, insurance coverage, and utilization of available services were all factors associated with better mental health. So basically, the more people who can and do use mental health services in a state, the lower the suicide and depression rates. States with more generous mental health coverage tended to be the states where more people accessed treatment, resulting in lower suicide rates.

Who paid for this research, you ask? Why, the kind folks at Wyeth Pharmaceuticals. How nice of them! I'm sure they weren't thinking at all about their meds down the pipeline, like Pristiq, an anti-depressant undergoing regulatory review right now, or vabicaserin, an anti-depressant currently in phase 3 research. I'd love to see a marketing map of target advertising audiences when Pristiq is approved. Oh wait, I already posted it above, silly me. However, while I am suspicious, I don't classify this kind of industry support as "bad", just saddening. Data like this informs the psych health policy debate while helping to destigmatize mental health treatment, so studies like this need to get done. Unfortunetly, as it often seems when it comes to mental health, only ones willing to foot the bill are those with potential for financial gain.

the data is in: grandma was right!

Always delighted to read clinical evidence that supports home remedies, I'm happy to report that honey got some evidence-based positive press today.

In a comparison of buckwheat honey, dextromethorphan (DM) cough syrup (honey-flavored, notes the abstract) and no treatment for cough in children, honey was rated the best by study participants and their parents.

The study, conducted by researchers at Penn State Pediatric Center in Hershey (the sweetest place on earth demonstrating its nature, as usual) was recently published in the Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine. It should be noted that funding was provided by the National Honey Board, and industry-funded government based agency whose mission statement focuses on the promotion of honey; however I'd be surprised if the honey industry handles its investigators the same way as big pharm.